Warmth
by newvagabond
Summary: Jack Frost/Bunnymund. Very soft, implied if you look for it. Oneshot ficlet. These two are fun. "The smell of iced earth stuck out in his underground lair of eggs and green grass like a dirty old hound in a carrot garden."


**A/N: Jack Frost/Bunnymund.** Very soft, implied if you look for it. Oneshot ficlet. These two are fun.

"The smell of iced earth stuck out in his underground lair of eggs and green grass like a dirty old hound in a carrot garden."

* * *

When you're up to your ears in a vast field of bright flowers, you need to be able to sniff out danger. If all you can smell is poppies, you'd sooner find your neck between the teeth of a fox than even hear the hunter sneak up on you. Rabbits had to be aware of every little thing if they wanted to make it home alive.

The smell of iced earth stuck out in his underground lair of eggs and green grass like a dirty old hound in a carrot garden.

"Ain't good for ya to be down here, mate," Bunnymund said finally, turning the egg in his paw and adding a few dots of pink paint. "You'll melt."

Lofty ears twitched backwards to analyze a miniscule shuffle; Jack Frost was perched atop his staff. Oh, he thought he was sneaky. Tried to stay downwind of Bunny. But this was his territory. He'd know if an ant had followed him home.

"What would you do if I melted?" Bunny didn't even need to take a gander to know that Jack was grinning, mischievous little imp that he was.

Furry paw twitched and dipped the brush into blue paint. He dragged it around the top of the little egg in a circle, smirking despite himself. "Keep ya in a bucket," he replied.

He heard Jack hop down from his perch, and felt the staff just barely graze his furry ears. Though Jack knew better than to use any of his tricks in here. Last time he'd iced Bunny's egg babies it'd taken several Easter Bunny ice sculptures and fifteen baskets of carrots for him to forgive the sprite. A couple of scratches behind the ears didn't hurt either.

"What if I spilled though?" Jack asked, settling down next to the super rabbit, and there was another smell: softer, a little bit airy, like… clouds. Bunnymund's eyes left the egg for half a second to make sure that bloody staff was set down and Jack pretended not to notice that he'd also looked at his hands and feet. And maybe that silly white head of hair.

"You'd make good water for the grass," Bunny said now with a broad smirk.

Jack's mouth dropped with a surprised laugh and he swiftly reached up to snatch the little pink and blue egg away.

" 'ey," Bunny warned, ears swiveling, a usual tick when he was annoyed.

Jack ignored him and turned the little oval in his fingertips. "Easter is over, y'know," he said.

Bunny didn't give him a chance to mess up the paint and swiped the egg back without a word.

"You should take some time off," Jack continued, and Bunny gave him a sideways sort of half-glare.

"What, like you've been?"

"Hey, I've been working."

"Freezing an indoor swimmin' pool ain't work."

"Aww," Jack moaned in faux disappointment, icy eyes rolling. "I thought you loved that one."

Thinking himself sly, the frost guardian took a chance and went for the egg again—only to find a furry padded paw snatching his wrist. Bunny turned his hand over palm-up, nose twitching as he regarded the undeniable pink color spreading across pale skin. Jack never was one to let him know if he was uncomfortable. He really would sooner cook down here than ask Bunny for anything to help.

"You're heatin' up, Jack."

Jack took his hand back quickly, curling it and hiding it with his other hand. A silly tactic, really, as his other hand was just as rosy. "I'm fine," he assured.

Bunny's ears pointed at a slant and Jack just smiled. "Really," he said. Slowly, not trying to trick this time, he took the egg and looked it over again.

The rabbit watched him for a moment and considered arguing further but he knew from experience it wouldn't go anywhere. Jack was stubborn. Almost as stubborn as he was. Maybe that's why they understood each other.

Five minutes, then he'd get the imp outside to cool.

Bunny sighed and picked up a new egg. Green this time, he decided, tapping the brush. Bristled tip curved in an expert swirl up the decorative food, and the sprite felt a cold little head rest against his fluffy shoulder.

Maybe ten minutes, then.


End file.
